It is tempting to assume that meaningful change begins with large institutions. I spend a great deal of time in Westminster, and national government certainly has the scale to tackle challenges that communities cannot solve alone.

But since my election, one truth has been unmistakable: the most durable improvements in people’s lives in Farnham, Liphook, Bordon and Haslemere come from local energy that is quieter, humbler and more human.

Across the constituency, I have seen how residents take responsibility for shared spaces and shared concerns. Residents associations show this clearly.

They are not ideological and they do not seek praise. They exist because people recognise that collective knowledge is stronger than isolated frustration.

Whether in St Austin’s, South and East Liphook, or Farnham and Bunch Lane, each group tackles different pressures yet follows the same principle.

They spot the small signals that never reach central dashboards: the planning proposal that changes the character of a street, the junction that becomes unsafe, the infrastructure decision that quietly shifts problems elsewhere. It is no surprise that Beacon Hill residents are forming their own association this December.

These groups do not emerge because Whitehall instructs them to, but because stewardship already exists within our towns and villages.

That instinct runs through our community led charities and support networks. Organisations such as Farnham Assist, and initiatives including the Hindhead Bereavement Café, do not replicate national services; they fill the space between them.

They notice when loneliness goes unspoken, when grief becomes harder after the initial sympathy fades, or when someone needs regular company rather than a formal referral pathway.

They are not replacements for clinical or statutory services, but they sit alongside them. Their strength comes from proximity. People ask for help more readily from a neighbour than from a distant system, even when that system is well designed.

None of this diminishes the role of government. Local knowledge cannot rebuild roads, reform legal frameworks or direct NHS investment. But government cannot embed itself in every household or every conversation. There is a difference between capacity and connection.

Central government can mobilise capacity; only communities can generate connection. The aim should not be competition between the two, but alignment.

That alignment matters. When residents associations provide evidence on traffic, or when local groups highlight recurring gaps in provision, government must listen. These organisations are not obstacles. They are translators. They show how decisions land in real lives, not only in spreadsheets. When their insight is valued, national resources become more effective rather than more intrusive.

As your MP, I take an active interest in the work happening across our towns and villages, but my role is not to take over. It is to ensure that the voices of local people are heard clearly and not lost in bureaucracy.

Policy should strengthen the voluntary spirit that already thrives in Farnham, Liphook, Bordon and Haslemere. Our communities are not waiting for direction; they are already leading the way, and when government respects their insight, everyone benefits.